Letting Go
by Grissom1
Summary: Sara is hurt by Grissom's constant rejection so she decides to let go.  Will Grissom realize what he's doing and do something before it's too late?


This is my second story. I am dedicating it to Billiebeesaved. Many warm thanks and hugs to Sam for taking the time to read my stories and edit before I post them!

**Letting Go**

**Chapter One**

Sara stared at the lifeless body lying on the floor of the hotel room and thought to herself _some people can be so lucky. At least she wasn't in any more pain._

Warrick came up to stand beside Sara and took the suicide note from Sara's hand.

"What a waste. Why would a young beautiful girl like this decide to slit her wrist?"

"Perhaps death was easier than life" said Sara as she resumed collecting the evidence. There was no emotion from Sara as she collected the evidence and tagged each piece. Usually a crime scene such as this would have cause a stir in her but not this one. In fact there had been few lately that affected Sara.

_At least I am comfortably numb. I'll just finish here and wait for the next case. _ Sara handed the last bit of evidence to Warrick and then walked out.

Her shoulder brushed against Brass as she left the room.

"Is it cold in here or what?" said Warrick as he watched Sara leave the room.

"She doesn't seem herself. What's happened lately?" commented Brass as he too noticed the change in Sara's behavior.

Warrick shrugged his shoulders and began packing up. Sara had already left when he reached his vehicle.

It had been a hard week. Heck, it had been a hard month for everyone. It seemed that everyone was coming to Vegas not to gamble, but to commit murder and the CSI team was exhausted from the amount of overtime the entire unit had been forced to work.

Warrick turned in the evidence to the crime lab and then looked around to see Greg snooping around the break room.

"What are you up to Greg?"

"I'm just trying to find out whose been hogging all of the imported coffee I have been bringing to work each shift. I get one cup each night. Someone really likes this stuff."

"Yeah, well if we all keep up this pace we are going to have to trade the coffee in for some serious drugs" replied Nick as he entered the break room.

Grissom heard the conversation and decided to pop in to get an update about the latest case.

"Warrick, what is the status of the female body found in the hotel room on the strip tonight?"

"Suicide. The woman, Nancy Warren left a suicide note. She had been having problems with her boyfriend. It seems he had a problem with commitment and decided to break it off."

"Doesn't seem like much of an excuse to kill yourself." Commented Grissom as he came and sat down beside Greg.

"Coming from you, I could understand why she killed herself" replied Sara as she walked into the break room and got a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Ouch!" said Greg as he burned himself on the coffee pot. Sara's comment was lost on the others but not Grissom. He shot her a harsh look but Sara never made eye contact with him. She strolled out of the room before further conversation could be directed at her.

"Has anyone noticed a change in Sara?" asked Warrick.

"What kind of change?" inquired Grissom as he helped himself to some one Greg's coffee.

"She is completely detached from all of her cases."

"Well, isn't that what we are supposed to do?" asked Greg who was still sucking on his burned finger.

"I can't put my finger on it but there is something different about her" added Nick.

"I am sure she is just tired like the rest of us. By the way, we are going on three hours and no homicides. Perhaps, we are on an upswing finally" replied Grissom as he got up and headed toward his office.

He looked in the direction of Sara's desk. She was immersed in her paperwork. She could feel his eyes on her but she refused to make eye contact.

This had been her approach for several weeks now and it was beginning to take its toll on Grissom. He liked gazing into her big brown eyes however the pain he often saw behind them haunted him in his sleep. He knew that he was the reason for the pain. She had made it clear to him on several occasions that she had feelings for him but he had trampled on those feelings so often that she no longer reached out to him. He wanted so much to take her into his arms and comfort her, but he knew he would never be able to do that. Their relationship would always remain just as it was. These thoughts didn't seem to help his temperament and he decided to confront Sara. Perhaps she would become angry and he would see that spark that often drove him crazy with desire. Sara was the only person who could match his wit and love for forensics. He often marveled at how far she had come in the last few years under his watchful eye. He was no longer her mentor but an equal. He wondered why he never told her this.

He walked over and sat in front of Sara. He would make her look at him. She continued to type away at the keyboard.

"Is there something you need Grissom?"

"I wanted to discuss the suicide case with you. Why do you think she decided to kill herself?"

"Her boyfriend was probably the type that didn't care about anyone else but himself. He never took the time to show his love to her."

Grissom's jaw twitched. "Why didn't she just move on? She was young and beautiful. She could easily have found someone else."

The ball was now in Sara's court. This wasn't the first time they had shared these cryptic conversations and she no longer wanted to be a part of them.

"I guess she couldn't stop loving him and decided to end the pain. Why does it matter now? She weighed all of her options and decided to live without the pain. Some people decide to take control of their lives even it means ending it."

"Sara, you don't mean that?" stared Grissom in disbelief.

Sara got up and proceeded to leave the room. She needed to get away from him so she headed for the break room.

"If you'll excuse me, I need something in the break room."

To Sara's disappointment Grissom followed. He started to continue their conversation but the guys were still in the break room. Grissom decided to let the matter go for now but intended to speak with Sara before the shift was over.

Grissom returned to his office just as Ecklie walked in.

"Have you gotten lost Ecklie or did you decide to take a tour of the lab again?"

"We are going to open up a supervisor position on the first shift and we need your recommendations for one of your CSI to fill it."

Grissom had heard through the grapevine that management had been looking into a mentoring program for the new CSI cadets. A recent study indicated that if the new recruits were assigned to a mentor for the first 6 months in the field, job retention increased. Greg was an example of how well Sara fit this role. Without a blink, Grissom gave his recommendation.

"Sara Sidle"

**Chapter two**

"You have to be kidding if you think I am going to back Ms. Sidle" Ecklie snorted.

"You asked for my recommendation and I am standing behind it. Sara is the best CSI that I have and I am not going to recommend anyone else."

Ecklie left the room without saying another word. He never liked Sidle and had wanted Grissom to fire Sara. Ecklie had placed Sara on one week suspension without pay for insubordination. Sidle was a loose cannon and would be easy to set off. He decided to let Sidle self destruct.

Grissom stared at the door and thought to himself. _What have I done? _The thought of never working with Sara again left an empty feeling in the bottom of his stomach. He knew he would have to let her go sometime but he didn't want it to be like this.

How would he replace Sara? The thought was absurd in his mind. He could never replace her. She was invaluable to him. He would no longer be able to see her every night. He would never be able to sneak around and watch her work. He would no longer be her supervisor any longer. He would no …..

The realization of that last statement reeled in his head. There would no longer be any conflict of interest at work. He could go out for breakfast with Sara. He could go out to lunch with Sara. He could even go out to dinner with Sara. Heck, he could reach out and actually touch Sara, he could feel her in his embrace, he could… The possibilities were endless and his mind began to swirl. Reality set in. He could never do those things because he wouldn't let himself. He was too old for Sara. He knew that wasn't even true. _Why lie to yourself fool. You won't let her get close because you're afraid she will leave you one day and you couldn't bear the rejection. It's safer from a distance._

A voice inside his head told him to be cautious. Sara had not gotten the promotion yet nor had she accepted. _Of course she would accept. _He almost said the last thought out loud before catching himself. Sara had been acting different lately and perhaps she had finally decided to move on. His stomach lurched again at that thought. The thought of never seeing Sara again made him panic.

Grissom decided he had better get back to work so he could find Sara later and speak with her.

**Chapter Three**

The argument coming from the lab disrupted Grissom's concentration. He immediately got up and headed to the disruption. Warrick and Sara were in a heated argument.

"I'm telling you the lady didn't commit suicide."

"There is nothing to suggest she didn't Warrick" quipped Sara. This was the first time she had shown any emotion in some time.

"Sara, there was a time you would have questioned the simplicity of a case but something has happened to you and it seems as though you just want to take this at face value. I say we need to dig a little deeper to ensure that it was really a suicide."

"Why is so difficult for you guys to put your heads around this? That dead woman knows more about life than any of us here in this room. She got out of a bad situation. She wanted release; no she prayed for release from the pain that she had been feeling for so long. She picked up the gun and shot herself." Sara's voice cracked. She wasn't going to go back to feeling anything. _Comfortably numb Sara. Let's retreat to that comfortable place where there are no emotions. _

Sara closed her eyes for a moment and then continued. "There was gunshot residue on the palm of her hand. The note was written in her own hand. According to her friends, she had been depressed for some time…" Again Sara's voice quivered but she squared her shoulders and began to walk out of the room but Grissom was blocking the doorway. She had not noticed when he arrived and she did not want to know what part of the discussion he had overheard.

"Is there a problem with this case?" asked Grissom as he looked at both Warrick and Sara. Neither said a word.

"Good. I expect to see the report on my desk at the end of the shift." Grissom then took Sara by the arm and escorted her to his office. Sara had no choice but to go. Grissom closed the door once Sara was inside and then he wheeled his fury onto her.

"I want to know what is going on with you Sara and I want to know now."

"Warrick and I were had a disagreement about the suicide case. He was not aware of the forensic and lab results which I had obtained only a few minutes ago."

"No Sara. That's not what I mean. You haven't raised your voice like that in a long time." He reached out to touch her arm but she flinched and he quickly withdrew the comforting gesture.

"I don't know what you mean. I matched my voice with Warrick's. If I raised my voice then so did Warrick and I don't see him in your office at this moment." Sara turned and walked out.

Grissom closed his eyes and leaned against his desk. He remained with his back to the door. He knew that everyone had been under a lot of stress lately with the amount of cases but he was getting concerned about Sara's behavior. Just as that thought entered his mind, he felt two arms slipped around him and hold him in an embrace. He instinctively returned the embrace by reeling around to face the person. It was Lady Heather.

**Chapter Four**

Sara walked past Grissom's office and abruptly stopped when she saw Grissom holding Lady Heather in a firm embrace. Her eyes began to water and she felt a lump in her throat. Sara then retreated to the break room. Greg was sitting at the table eating a snack. Sara needed a distraction. She couldn't return to the hallway at this moment. She decided to get a glass of water to calm her nerves. She reached for a glass and began to fill it with water.

Grissom walked past the break room with Lady Heather. It appeared they were leaving together. Grissom's arm was touching the back of Lady Heather's back. Greg just stared in disbelief.

"She's been coming around her a lot. I think she has the hots for Grissom. What do you think Sara?"

Sara stood motionless. She felt as though the air had been knocked out of her. The glass in her hand shattered spewing pieces of glass onto the floor. Sara did not move. She did not notice when Greg rushed over and pulled her over to the sink and began running water over her hand. There were several shards of glass imbedded in Sara's hand. Greg looked at Sara but she showed no emotion.

"Sara, you need to sit down." Greg guided her over to a chair and he grabbed a towel to hold under Sara's hand. Blood oozed from the wounds.

"This may hurt a bit" said Greg. He began to pick out the glass using some tweezers. Each time he removed a piece of glass he looked at Sara's face waiting to see a reaction. She did not flinch and sat quietly. There was one large piece remaining in Sara's hand and Greg did not feel comfortable pulling it out. He did not know how deep the wound was.

"Remind me never to arm wrestle with you. God Sara, how hard were you squeezing that glass?"

Sara did not reply but continued to stare into space. Greg tried again. This time, he took his hand and touched Sara on the cheek.

"Sara."

Sara did not want to return to the present. It was nice hiding inside herself. _It's safer_ _in here than out there_. _Out there was the pain of Grissom. Always the pain of Grissom._ She felt the stinging sensation in her hand and glanced down at it and a small laugh escaped her lips. Greg tried again.

"Sara, are you alright?"

"I'm fine Greg. It's just a little cut. I don't feel it really. I don't feel anything." Again a small laugh escaped Sara's lips.

**Chapter Five**

Doc Robbins removed the piece of glass from Sara's hand and covered the gaping wound with a bandage. It had been a deep cut. He reluctantly removed the glass at the insistence of Greg.

"Greg, she needed to go to the ER and have that removed. She needs stitches."

"Have you been to the ER recently? They make you wait for hours. Sara needs to get this done quickly."

"How did it happen?"

"It was an accident" replied Sara. It was strange how the two were acting as though she wasn't even there.

"Well, you're going to need stitches." Doc Robbins didn't like being put in this position. Accidents were supposed to be reported.

"Then stitch it up." Sara said matter of fact. "You do it every day."

"I do it on dead bodies" said Doc Robbins who was assessing Sara's hand again.

"It will be fine. Go ahead."

Doc Robbins looked at Sara in surprise. "I can't stitch this up without giving you something to numb it first."

"It'll be fine. If you don't want to do it then I'm leaving. I have paperwork to finish." Doc Robbins didn't make a move so Sara started to get up and leave. Greg looked at Doc.

"Fine. Sit down Sara." He did the first stitch and looked at Sara for a response but there was none.

"Do you have any feeling at all?"

_No Doc. I can't feel anything. _

Sara did feel the pain and she welcomed it. She had drifted into a depression that she couldn't recover. She felt as though she were drowning at times and just as she wanted to let go, she would bob back up for air. Why couldn't she just let herself sink? She didn't much care what others thought about her behavior. Sara thought about Grissom and wondered what he was doing at that moment with Lady Heather. There had been times before when Grissom's actions had cut her to the bone and she bled. No one saw her bleed but she did and this time, she was finding it hard to will herself back to the present. _So this must have been what it was like for my mother, right before she shot my father and then tried to kill herself_. Sara knew that she could never hurt another person. Her actions only hurt herself. At least she felt something for the moment. Yes, she welcomed the pain.

"Sara, are you listening?"

Doc Robbins voice brought Sara back to reality. "It's fine. It stings a little but its fine."

"I don't want to hurt you Sara. I can give you something for the pain."

Doc's gesture brought tears to Sara's eyes. He and Greg were being very kind but they didn't understand. _I need the pain._

Again Sara refused the offer but gave them a mournful smile. Greg looked away each time that Doc's needle entered Sara's skin. He stared at Sara's face for a reaction but there was none.

**Chapter Six**

Grissom looked at Lady Heather who sat across from him at the picnic table. For months he and Lady Heather had been seeing each other. That wasn't the right words for their meetings. They were just friends. They seemed to have a connection. She seemed to understand his weaknesses just as he understood hers. She had a way with reading him. She knew that he was in love with Sara. She knew that he would never try to show his feelings to her and even if he did he would always retreat leaving Sara devastated each time.

"I don't know why I find it so hard to let her know how I feel." Grissom admitted openly. He hadn't meant to say the words but his guard was always down with Lady Heather. He knew that she didn't want or expect anything from him.

"You won't even though you can. In my profession, I will never let someone get close to me. I will never know what it is like to love someone completely. To sacrifice myself for his happiness. I will never give up my profession because it is who I am. Do you want to be like this for the rest of your life Gil?"

Grissom thought that this was very sad but very true. He had built his life around his work. Lady Heather was right. He could never taste love and know true happiness. His thoughts turned to Sara. He cursed himself for how he had been treating Sara. He couldn't have her but he couldn't let her go.

Lady Heather read his mind and she smiled. Her smile was much like Sara's. It said volumes but always with an air of sadness.

"If you don't tell her she will grieve until there is nothing that remains of the Sara that you know. She will sacrifice her future to have a single moment with you. One day you will look up and she will be gone. Can you risk that? Will you let her self destruct?

Don't make the same mistakes I've made Gil. You have to reach out to her before it's too late."

Grissom stared at her in disbelief. "Sara may be head strong but she wouldn't do anything stupid. She would never…" His voice trailed off. He was reminded of a conversation he had with Sara in her apartment one day. He had gone there to talk with her. Ecklie had demanded Sara's resignation. He refused. He could never let her go. Sara had been angry with everyone she came in contact with. He had to get to the root of the problem before Sara backed him into a corner and he was forced to fire her. Her words echoed in his head. _I have a problem with authority. I choose men who are emotionally unavailable. I am self destructive._

"She wouldn't…" He couldn't finish the sentence. The words stuck in his throat. Had he driven her to that point?

Lady Heather could see that she may have finally made some headway with Grissom. He grasped her hand and with a slight embrace he left her as he headed back to the lab.

**Chapter Seven**

Sara glanced at the reports she held in her hand. The wounds still stung but she ignored it. A text message appeared on her phone. She closed her eyes. _I'm too tired for this. She thought. I'm not going to respond._

"Go home Sara" called Catherine. Sara turned to see Greg and Catherine walking toward her.

"I have to finish…"

"No. Greg filled me in on your accident. You're going home."

_She's not my boss. _ Sara started to protest.

"Do you want me to call Grissom?"

Sara closed her eyes and wished them away but they remained in front of her.

"Fine. I'm done. I'm through." She dropped the files on her desk and headed to the locker room. She opened the locker and reached for her CSI jacket but it was gone. Sara moaned. _I don't know why I bother with the thing when I keep leaving it in the car._

The wind was bitter outside. She stood and let the cold wash across her face. She was tired but she didn't want to go home. She remembered the text message. She didn't want to be around when he returned nor did she intend to send a reply. She had finished the last conversation she was ever going to have with him. The finality of her thoughts struck her and she almost lost her footing as she got into the car.

So this was it. She was going to take control of her life and end this pain. She almost felt relief wash over her. Did she have the courage to follow through with her plan? She began to cry softly as she sat in the dark. She saw headlights approaching and drove away.

Grissom looked around the lab and ran into Catherine and Greg.

"Where's Sara?"

Catherine looked at Greg and then proceeded to sit down in the break room. Grissom sat and looked at them both.

"Does anyone want to answer my question?"

"I sent her home" said Catherine as Greg began to fidget. Grissom noticed his behavior immediately.

"Do you have something to add to this Greg?"

Greg reluctantly told Grissom about the accident and how Sara had not seemed to be in touch with her emotions. Grissom still did not think there was anything seriously wrong. _She just needs rest. It will be good for her to go home early and sleep. _

Grissom got up and went to his office. He sat down and closed his eyes. Why did he have this feeling in his gut that something was wrong? He shrugged off the feeling.

_I need to go home and sleep. _It was then that Grissom noticed the slip of paper hanging out of the book he had been reading. He read the note addressed to him:

Grissom,

Bye

S

_It's just a note from Sara letting me know she was going home early_. He laid the note down and leaned back in his chair. The intent of the note struck him just as his phone rang. Grissom was really panicking now.

**Chapter Eight**

"Grissom, you need to get down here right away" yelled Brass.

Grissom closed his eyes. _It's another body_. Why couldn't the shift end without another crime scene to investigate?

"There's a woman on the bridge and she is threatening to jump" said Brass.

"Why do they need us on the scene? It's not a body yet."

"Gil, I think it's Sara." Grissom heart stopped. This could not be happening.

"Are you sure?"

"There's a brunette with a CSI jacket wearing slacks standing on the edge of the bridge. Do you know anyone else who fits that description?"

Grissom hung up the phone and ran out the door. The others stared at his departure. It was only a few minutes later that word had reached the others of the phone call that Grissom received. The others left for the bridge.

**Chapter Nine**

Grissom jumped out of the car and ran toward the bridge. He could see her standing there. The wind was very brisk and he was afraid that if they didn't get her off the edge soon she might slip and fall into the frigid waters below. _Only a few more hundred feet._ Grissom ran yelling her name as loud as he could.

The others arrived behind Grissom and they too ran for the bridge. Grissom was so close and they hoped that he would be able to talk Sara into coming down. Grissom was nearing the bridge when he called again.

"Sara, please honey, don't leave me." He fell to his knees in horror as he watched her hands slowly release the rail and fall into the water. He cried out in pain. This could not be the end. This was not the way it was to be. This was not going to be the way he said goodbye to her. He jumped up and ran to the rail and started to climb over but the officers and Brass held him back. He tried to lurch away from them but they refused to let him jump.

Grissom collapsed onto the ground in devastation. He cried for what he had led her to do. He cried for all of the lost moments they would never spend together. He cried for the only person he had ever loved. All he had to do was tell her how he really felt. All he had to do was let her in. She had extended her love to him so many times and he had brushed it away. There was no living without her.

The team stood in silence. Each cried for the friend they had lost and the guilt that they carried for not seeing the pain Sara had carried for so long.

Brass could not console Grissom. He stood with tears in his eyes. Sara had been a good friend and now she was just another case.

The divers had been searching for an hour and they had not been able to find the body. Sara had been listening to the police scanner while she sat at home. She had begun packing her stuff as soon as she got home. She intended to hand in her resignation the following night. She couldn't believe she was actually going to do this. She was letting go.

She knew the team was probably working the "jumper" case and she felt guilty for not finishing her shift. She had let her emotions get in the way and she should have insisted on staying to finish up her cases. She knew she had only given in to Catherine because she didn't want to speak with Grissom. His text message insisting that they talk infuriated her. _He just wants to have another cryptic conversation that will mean everything to me and nothing to him. _

Sara still felt the guilt. She got up, dressed in warm clothes and headed for the crime scene.

**Chapter Ten**

Catherine stood by Grissom as he looked out over the water. She had never seen him look so tired. He hadn't said a word since Sara jumped. He would occasionally nod his head letting the others know he had heard their updates on the case. He just wanted to dive into the water and be with Sara. Sara was right.

"Being dead is less painful than being alive."

Catherine started to reply but the words would not come. She continued to stand by Grissom as a means of support. The guys remained a few feet away letting Grissom have his privacy. She could hear their hushed voices and made eye contact with Warrick. He motioned for Catherine to come over.

"What is it?"

"Catherine, they've located the body and they need one of us to ID it." Catherine turned toward Grissom. He must have heard Warrick because he let out a deep breath and turned to face them.

"I'll do it" said Grissom in a quiet voice. He wasn't sure whether he could really do it or not but he felt it was his responsibility.

Greg wiped his eyes with his sleeve and walked past Grissom. "I'll do it. You loved her more."

As Greg approached the gurney he could see Sara's hand hanging out to the side. Sara had delicate hands. It was such a stark contract since Greg knew all too well the strength that Sara possessed in those hands. He recalled when she broke the glass tonight. Greg stopped dead in his tracks. He looked at the hand again and then yelled. "That's not Sara."

The others began mumbling but then it was Catherine who realized what Greg had discovered. She too became excited. She grabbed Grissom's arm. "Grissom, that's not Sara."

"How do you know?" cried Grissom.

"Sara cut her hand tonight, remember what Greg and I told you. There are no cuts on her hand."

Grissom ran over and opened the body bag. He gasped when he saw Lady Heather's face. W_hy? Why had she done this? _He wanted to shake the lifeless body and beg her why she had put him through this. He had wanted to jump. He had wanted to die. He did not want to live without Sara. Then he realized what Lady Heather had actually done for him. She had forced him to realize how much Sara meant to him. He had seen a glimpse of a future without Sara. She had forced him to come out into the living. He stood and cried for the loss of a true friend. He cried because he had a second chance with Sara.

**Chapter 11**

Sara got out of her car and walked toward the crew. Grissom was standing over a body and she could tell he was visibly upset. Grissom must have known the jumper. She wanted to run and put her arms around Grissom and comfort him. She had never seen him upset before. She didn't want him to feel the pain he was displaying. God, she ached for him. She walked up behind her group and stood there holding her kit.

"I heard the call over the scanner and came to see if I can help."

The others whirled around and began attacking Sara with hugs. She dropped her kit in the assault but didn't seem to mind. She wasn't sure what was going on but she felt they all needed a hug right now and she didn't mind the closeness. She had missed that lately.

Grissom turned to see Sara and he plowed through the crew and grabbed Sara. His embrace was forceful and for a moment, Sara could not catch her breath.

"Griss, I can't breathe"

Grissom smiled at her and lightly released his hold on her but kept her in an embrace. She could see the wetness on his face. He had been crying.

"I'm sorry. You must have known the victim."

"I thought it was you in that body bag but instead it's Lady Heather."

Sara's body began to tense. Her mind was trying to wrap around the statement from Grissom's mouth and the events of her arrival. Nick could see the confusion in Sara's eyes so he brought her up to date on what had transpired. Sara's mind was on overload. _Lady Heather committed suicide. Lady Heather had been wearing a CSI jacket. They thought it was me who had jumped. _

Grissom added to the details. He told her about the note that he had found in his book.

"I never wrote that" said Sara. Then the incident with the missing jacket came to mind.

"My jacket went missing from my locker."

Sara could not understand why Lady Heather would stage her death like this. She was still pondering this when Grissom again forcibly embraced her. Her senses reeled. She could just die in his arms right now and that would be enough. She heard him whispering in her ear. "I'm sorry honey. I am so sorry." Sara returned his embrace this time. She was still confused but she could not bear to hear the pain in Grissom's voice.

"I thought I had lost you Sara. I can't live without you. I love you. I'm sorry I ever pushed you away. I'm sorry I ever hurt you. It took a tragedy like this to make me see that."

Catherine began to pull the guys away from the couple. She knew that this moment needed some privacy. She smiled to herself and mumbled under her breath. "It's about time."

Sara was slowly trying to comprehend everything that had occurred in the last 24 hours but she was still having a bit of trouble getting her brain to function. She was suddenly exhausted. She could tell Grissom felt the same way.

Catherine called over her shoulder as Brass approached. "You guys go home. We have it covered here. Sara thanks for following my orders tonight."

Sara smiled "I did in a way. I did go home."

She could hear Catherine laughing and the guys joined in. They were all relieved and seemed a bit giddy. Nick began harassing Greg and Warrick acted as mediator. Some things did not change.

Brass came over and pulled Sara out of Grissom's arms. He hugged Sara for several minutes before releasing her. He pointed to Grissom and then spoke directly at Sara. "If he ever steps out of line, you just let me know." He kissed Sara on the cheek and walked away to join the others.

**Chapter Twelve**

Grissom's heart was racing as he awoke from a dream. It had been a nightmare. He and Sara had talked for hours into the night. He had told her why Lady Heather had killed herself and Sara had cried as well. They had held each other while they each took turns talking about their relationship. They had made love and fallen asleep in each others arms. Grissom reached out in the darkness and felt Sara beside him. She was in a deep sleep and he did not want to wake her. He slid over and took her in an embrace. He berated himself for being the fool for denying his love for Sara until now. Sara began to stir and she turned to face him. She gently ran her hand down the side of his face. Her fingertips continued to stroke his beard.

Grissom took her hand and stared at the bandage. He kissed it lightly.

"Does it hurt much?"

"No. Not as long as you kiss it every now and then."

Grissom looked at her lovingly and smiled. "Always."

**Epilogue**

Sara had fallen into the new shift rather easily. She enjoyed working with the new cadets but she did miss the gang. She looked forward to double shifts. Double shifts meant she would be able to work with Grissom and the others.

Grissom had become the perfect suitor. He met her for lunch and they ate dinner with the gang most evenings. She never knew quite how it happened but over time, her stuff began to pile up at Grissom's. Initially she just thought that she was being absent minded but then she caught Grissom bringing some of her things to his place.

"What are you doing?" She asked one night as he was picking up a box and putting some of her stuff in it.

"I'm slowly moving you over to my place. There's more room there and I know how you hate change. I thought if I did a little at a time, you wouldn't mind."

Sara was in heaven. She never felt more loved than she did with Grissom and he intended to show his love ever day, every moment from that fateful night on the bridge…


End file.
